Ruffling the Feathers
by Thess
Summary: Seras learns on her first mission with the Wild Geese that she shouldn’t underestimate the rookies. Especially their Captain. Slight PipxSeras. One shot. Manga ficlet.


Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano.

Author's notes: Edited by kelles, I dedicate this fic to Cendrillo. This answers the # 5 theme of 30 kisses community in lj: "hey, you know…" and the challenge of Solid&Etc ficlet challenge: www5b(.)biglobe.ne(.)jp(/)7Ejinriki/oldg-2001-2002/pages/bel-sera(.)html (based in this). Set months before volume 3.

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**Ruffling the Feathers**

"They are coming!" Seras exclaimed, sweating as she fired at the oncoming swarm of ghouled villagers that were approaching their position. She cursed every bad moment that had occured on this dreadful night: Volunteering to supervise the Wild Geese's first mission; handing her Harkonnen to Walter for modifications; agreeing to hang out with the Captain to follow the vampire to his lair; and leaving the rest of the Geese behind. But, most of all she cursed losing her extra clip of ammunition in her struggle with the vampire.

"Didn't the boss say that once the big nasty was dusted, his goons would follow?" Pip asked, searching for something in his pocket. Seras' hopes of a new clip of bullets vanished when she saw the Captain taking out a box of cigarettes.

"What are you doing!"

"Smoking and waiting for them to dust?" Pip asked, lighting his cigarette with a lazy expression on his face.

"That only works for the older breed! These are clearly those new vampires Sir Integral keeps ranting about!" Seras pointed out, outraged and keeping her fire steady until she ran out of bullets.

"Oh fuck then. How I was supposed to tell them apart? I was hoping the psycho was some Goth kid with fake fangs and too much time in his hands before he dissolved," Pip grumbled.

Seras buckled her rifle across the chest, if she did not do anything they were both doomed. Sir Integral would not like her new brand Captain ghouled on the first mission and he was her responsibility. She felt her blood boiling, her senses sharpened - she would take them down, one by one…

"Girl! What are you doing?"

"I am going to save you from becoming a cooked Goose, dolt!" Seras breathed harder and realized she was outnumbered. The whole bloody town was a ghoul and lunging at her! _I really, really hate small towns,_ her mind chanted. The countryside in UK as spots of peace and quiet was all load of bull. They were locations to be turned into the undead, get your lungs blew off and become a living pitchfork.

Where was her Master when she needed him in all his condescending glory?

Bracing for the avalanche of corpses, Seras gasped, shutting her eyes when she heard an engine ignited behind her. Before she could realize an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her away. "Captain!" she yelled, blushing slightly as she noticed the small bike he was driving, going down on the street.

"This goose has more tricks than meets the eye," Pip grinned, biting down his cigarette. "We will fly together, yellow canary, hold on."

"Yellow canary!" Seras twitched, damming the day she wore the uniform then cringed, eyes widening to notice the small bike leaping on construction pit on the street, literally lifting both on the air away from the zombies' grasps. "Oh my God! Are you insane!"

Their landing was less than comfortable, the bike did twirls and when the wheels connected the ground, they twisted, throwing them down with it. Her back connected the brick and Pip collapsed over her – his head landing on her breasts.

"At least I landed on something softer than the ground," Pip joked to further her infuriation.

"Get off! They are coming!" Seras cried out, wincing for the fall and the weight above her. It hurt her pride more than her unnatural strong body.

Pip glanced over her, smirking and standing, "Guys are you positioned now? We are out the range," he asked, holding up his walkie-talkie, eye rolling up to the buildings. Seras looked up, sitting on the floor. She heard heartbeats, many of them before spotting the mercenaries on the roofs and windows of the constructions around them. They made a salute in their direction and opened fire towards the ghouls gathered at the other side of the pit.

"You had this all planned!" Seras accused, rising herself, feeling her temper spiking. Her cheeks were flushed by embarrassment. They left her out of the ploy! She was not a damned rookie, they were!

"Well duh girl," Pip stood, dusting his jacket and tossing his braid aside in an arrogant manner. He looked handsome when he did that but she was too angry to even ogle his attributes. "You didn't think me so stupid to not bring reinforces just in case, did you?" he grinned to her indignation. "Did I ruffle your feathers?" She kept throwing daggers at his direction, feeling silly for he was right. She did underestimate them and had made the wrong assumptions. "Hey, you know… for first fly you did okay, canary," he complimented, spitting the cigarette to the ground.

Seras approached, a deceptive smile on her lips. She roughly reached for his braid and pulled it like a little girl playing nasty with a friend. "Call me canary again, Captain, and you can kiss your _feathers_ goodbye," she warned, emphasizing by an ungentle tug that ripped part of his strands before realizing it.

"Geez, as you wish, baby chick," Pip petted his hair and turned to admire the now cleaned infested town. "The van is here, ladies, leave the nests," he communicated when the vehicle headed in their direction.

Seras groaned at his moniker. _Couldn't I be addressed with my name – at least by him? _She wondered, looking at the Captain out of the corner of her eyes. Next time, she vowed to herself, she would not allow anyone to keep her in the dark - especially him. Otherwise she would do more than ruffling the feathers of that goose, no matter how gorgeous they were.


End file.
